Islamic Da'wah in Confronting Doctrinal Deviation: The Republic of The Gambia as a Case Study

Abstract

This study examines the role of Islamic da'wah (Islamic preaching) in addressing doctrinal deviations, taking the Republic of The Gambia as a case study. It aims to highlight the significance of sound Islamic creed ('Aqidah) and the positive outcomes of adhering to it, while focusing on the manifestations of doctrinal deviation in Gambian society, their causes, methods of addressing them, and the contributions of preachers, the Islamic awakening movement, and religious institutions in confronting these deviations. The study adopts the descriptive, analytical, and historical-inductive approaches, relying on the collection and analysis of data from sources relevant to the subject. The importance of the study lies in its contribution to combating doctrinal deviations in general, and in The Gambia in particular, as well as assisting members of society in distinguishing between innovations introduced into the Islamic creed and its authentic teachings. The study concludes that doctrinal deviation in The Gambia manifests itself in several forms, including restricting the concept of worship to ritual acts alone, weakness in the doctrine of loyalty and disavowal (al-Walā’ wa al-Barā’), the predominance of philosophy and speculative theology over reliance on the Qur'an and Sunnah, and the spread of polytheistic practices and superstitions such as seeking blessings from graves and seeking help from the dead. The study also identifies several internal obstacles hindering Islamic da'wah in The Gambia, most notably limited financial resources for preachers and the inadequate Islamic scholarly qualification of some of them. External obstacles include missionary activities aimed at converting Muslims, restrictions imposed on Islamic educational institutions, and the weakening of some Muslims’ adherence to Islam as a result of missionary efforts. The study recommends that Islamic associations and institutions give greater attention to Islamic creed in their curricula and programs, provide sound scholarly training for preachers, unify the efforts of scholars and preachers in confronting doctrinal deviations, make effective use of modern communication technologies to disseminate authentic Islamic creed, and conduct further scientific studies on the causes of doctrinal deviation, given that accurately identifying the problem constitutes half of the solution.